The Justice Department’s Offer to Boeing in 737 Max Case
The Justice Department is considering allowing Boeing to avoid a criminal trial by pleading guilty to a fraud charge related to the fatal crashes of its 737 Max planes over five years ago. This development was shared with the families of the crash victims by federal officials in a call on Sunday. The terms of the offer, as disclosed by lawyers representing the families, include:
- Nearly $244 million fine
- New investment in safety improvements
- Three years of monitoring by an external entity
- A meeting between Boeing’s board and the victims’ families
Paul G. Cassell, a law professor from the University of Utah who is representing more than a dozen families, expressed disappointment in the offer. He described it as a “sweetheart plea deal” as it does not require Boeing to admit responsibility for the 346 deaths resulting from the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia in late 2018 and early 2019.
Mr. Cassell stated, “The families are deeply dissatisfied with this proposed plea deal. The memory of the 346 individuals lost in the Boeing crashes demands a higher level of accountability and justice than what is being offered.”
The Justice Department and Boeing have not provided further comments on the matter at this time.
